Parkinson's Disease can be overwhelming physically, emotionally and mentally. The National Parkinson's Foundation of Western New York wants you to know there is help and there is hope.
On April 1st, the Peace Bridge was lit in blue.
"We met Mayor Brown and he issued a public proclamation recognizing the month of April as Parkinson's Awareness Month," says Pat Weigel, co-founder of the National Parkinson Foundation of Western New York. She now serves as Director of Patient Services for the Foundation. Weigel says, "On the 18th, Niagara Falls will be lit in Blue. On the 24th, we have our Night of Hope for Parkinson's, which is our annual wine tasting event, that is a fundraiser."
"We started the community room at the Mall here, our local McKinley Mall," says Weigel. "We had 17 people and we were nervous. It's been going strong since then. Most people have told me that support groups would last about two years, that's about the most you'll get out of it, but we've been going for 16 years."
Parkinson's carries debilitating effects to the afflicted, but Weigel notes that it is no way a death sentence. Getting that word out remains a challenge despite the public battle with Parkinson's that has been waged by actor Michael J. Fox.
"I see that what Michael has done, is he's taken the challenges of Parkinson's and not let them take his life away," says Weigel. "He's not letting Parkinson's be him. He is who he is despite the Parkinson's. That is such an inspiration for patients that have Parkinson's, that he can rise up from what it's doing to him physically and just completely show the person who he is, the strength of his character and continue on with his life's work."
So, how prevalent is Parkinson's Disease in Western New York?
"The latest numbers that we have had were about 9,000. According to this study that I read from the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri, they believe that the Midwest and the Northeast have a higher population. They're not certain why. It's a little more common in whites than African Americans, but they say it does cross all cultures."
Weigel says there is growing evidence that genetics and environment play a part in the development of Parkinson's. It's believed that exposure to certain chemicals and pesticides can lead to Parkinson's. The National Parkinson Foundation of Western New York is trying get out the message that it is here to help.
"Our main vision is take make sure that nobody stays home and deals with the challenges of Parkinson's alone. Our mission is to bring help and hope to the Buffalo community by helping to improve the quality of care through outreach and education."
"With the anxiety and depression, sometimes motivation can be a problem for Parkinson's. People come and say they never knew this existed. We hope that physicians would offer to their patients to come and share, and not be isolated... not have to be alone."
You may see blue ribbons throughout the month of April, National Parkinson's Awareness. Look for blue lights on Niagara Falls on April 18th. According to Weigel, the blue represents hope for Parkinson's patients.
"(There are) new medications and treatment options," notes Weigel. "Surgical, there's a couple of new drugs coming out, there's a new pump that has just been FDA approved where medication can be infused through a pump which makes it a little easier on patients who need to take medications sometimes every hour or every two hours. It's a disease that progresses slowly. It's not a death sentence. It's something that you can live with, with support and exercise and a good comprehensive care team to take care of you."
For more information on Parkinson's call 449-3795 the website is www.npfwny.org.
